Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1890 - November 1 2013
The following is a closed circuit advisory and not
necessarily for air. With a report on Amateur Radio
Newsline's current finances, here's our producer Bill
Pasternak, WA6ITF:
--
Well, the last time I was on here with a financial report I
told you that I thought we had enough in the bank to
hopefully hold us over the summer months June, July and
August, and that I would not be asking for any contributions
unless the sky was falling. Sadly, the sky is falling this
year. This is mainly because we did not get some of the
larger donations that we have come to count on to keep us
going over the lean summer months when people are away on
vacation.
Right now, we only have a couple of hundred dollars left in
our bank account. Most of that will vanish as we pay off
our financial obligation in regard to presenting this year's
Young Ham of the Year Award and the outstanding bills which
are quickly piling up. And unlike the years up through
October 2009 when I retired from full time employment, I'm
now living on fixed income and honestly cannot afford to
underwrite the cost of bringing these newscasts to you.
To be candid, I do not like to lead off a newscast with an
appeal such as this, but we have no other method of getting
the word out to you that we need your financial assistance
to keep Amateur Radio Newsline on the air, and that we need
it now. To all of us involved, each donation is looked upon
as an ongoing vote of confidence in the quality of the news
and information that we provide each week. And for this I
add my personal thank you.
Remember, Amateur Radio Newsline is a 501c3, not for profit
corporation and your donations are tax deductible. The
easiest way to donate is by going to our website at
www.arnewsline.org and clicking on the Pay Pal button. Or
you can mail a donation to the address you will hear at the
end of this weeks newscast.
Whichever method you choose, the all volunteer Amateur Radio
Newsline team says thank you so much for caring. We promise
to do all that we can to continue bringing you the news and
information you want to hear about amateur radio and
personal communications in the coming years.
Thank you. I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, and now this week's
newscast.
--
Thanks Bill. Now, Amateur Radio Newsline report number 1890
with a release date of November 1 2013 to follow in 5-4-3-2-
1.
The following is a QST. Australia's WICEN stands down as
the brushfire menace eases; A new satellite subband is
coming to 2 meters; Congress is asked to consider mandating
regularly scheduled EAS tests and the South Sudan will be on
the air in mid-November. Find out the details are on
Amateur Radio NewslineT report number 1890 coming your way
right now.
(Billboard Cart Here)
**
RESCUE RADIO: FOLLOW-UP - AUSTRALIAS WICEN STANDS DOWN
AFTER FIRE EMERGENCY
The work of ham radio operators in the wildfire response has
come to an end down under. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim
Meachen, ZL2BHF, has this follow-up report:
--
Australia's WICEN has stood down from its assistance to fire-
fighting efforts in the Australian state of New South Wales.
This as more favorable weather conditions has lead toward
containment of the blazes that threatened the outskirts of
the city of Sidney as it raged through the Blue Mountains.
WICEN had been activated by the Volunteer Rescue Association
to provide manpower after a State of Emergency was declared.
Several of its members were sent to Lithgow as part of a
Volunteer Rescue Association team 24. The others had been
held in reserve for later deployment as needed.
With the worst of the emergency now over, WICEN New South
Wales President Compton Allen VK2HDX has thanked the ham
radio operators who made themselves available in New South
Wales time of need.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, in
Nelson, New Zealand.
--
In all, the wildfires destroyed some 220 homes with an
estimated insurance value into the millions of dollars.
(VK3PC, published news reports)
**
RESTRUCTURING: NEW REGION 2 BANDPLAN INCLUDES ADDED 2 METER
SATELLITE SUBBAND
More room on 2 meters for ham radio space operations is one
of the outcomes of a recent IARU Region 2 meeting in Cancun,
Mexico.
The gathering whose minutes have now been published covered
all Region 2 bandplans for all allocations from 137 kHz to
250 GHz. Included is a new allocation for the Amateur
Satellite Service on 2 meters from 144.000 to 144.025 MHz.
There is also a reference to Near Space Stations or NSS
operations in the definitions section. This is believed to
be the first mention of High Altitude Balloons in any
amateur radio band plan.
IARU Region 2 is the organization of the International
Amateur Radio Union for the American continent. You can view
the entire document containing this and bandplans for all
other amateur radio spectrum on the web at
tinyurl.com/ANS300-IARU-Region-2-bandplans. (ANS)
**
RESCUE RADIO: CONGRESS ASKED TO CONSIDER REGULARLY
SCHEDULED EAS TEST
A bill recently introduced into the United States House of
Representatives to reauthorize the Federal Emergency
Management Agency or FEMA includes a provision that would
require national EAS tests at least once every three years.
The measure is designated as H.R. 3300 and reauthorizes FEMA
through Fiscal Year 2016 at $972 million each year. However
about $12 million of the total would provide Congressional
authorization for FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning
System or IPAWS, which uses several technologies
to simultaneously send alerts through many different
channels. This includes the EAS, along with wireless
alerts, Internet services and NOAA.
The measure would also establish system requirements and
capabilities for IPAWS and gives certain stakeholders,
including federal, state, local and private sector entities,
input into its development. (RW)
**
RESCUE RADIO: FEMA AND NPR TEAM FOR ALERTING DEAF TO
EMERGENCIES
The Department of Homeland Security has announced a pilot
project in cooperation with NPR Labs, to demonstrate the
delivery of the first-ever, real-time emergency alert
messages to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in five
Gulf states.
Twenty-five NPR affiliates in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana,
Mississippi and Texas have agreed to participate in the
venture to transmit emergency alert messages, such as
weather alerts, to 475 individuals who are deaf or hard-of-
hearing in the stations' listening areas. This to determine
how effectively the messages are being sent and received.
The public radio stations participating in the project will
receive emergency alert messages from FEMA's Integrated
Public Alert and Warning System. The stations will then
broadcast the emergency alerts to specially designed FM
Radio Data System receivers that alert the participants with
a flashing indicator.
The receivers can also show the content of the alert through
the receiver's digital display. Participants can connect a
strobe light or bed-shaker alerting device to the receiver
to help ensure alerts are noticed both day and night. (RI)
**
DX UP FRONT: WAKE ATOL OPERATION COMING ON THE AIR
Up-front in DX, the Wake Atoll Commemorative K-9-W
DXpedition team has been approved for entry onto Wake Atoll
and should be operational by the time many of you hear this
newscast. Their equipment is already on the atol and in safe
storage awaiting arrival of the operators that was scheduled
for November 2nd local time. They will then immediately set
up antennas and the stations.
As we go to air team leaders say that they plan to begin
operations on November 3rd and continue until November 15th,
once again local Wake Island time. There will be two CW and
two SSB stations operational during this DXpedition. More
information and updates will be on the web at wake2013.org
(K9W Management Team)
**
DX UP FRONT: SOUTH SUDAN TO BE ON NOVEMBER 14 - 28
An international group of hams, including CQ Magazine's DX
Editor Wayne Mills, N7NG, is planning to operate from South
Sudan as Z81X from November 14th to the 28th. This is the
time period that includes the CW weekend of the 2013 CQ
World Wide DX Contest.
According to Mission Goodwill South Sudan spokesman Martti
Laine, OH2BH, the group of ten hams is led by International
Amateur Radio Union Region One President Hans Timmerman,
PB2T, and includes two local operators.
The operation is hosted by South Sudan's Ministry of Posts
and Telecommunications, and will include a series of
workshops aimed at developing a permanent amateur radio
licensing and regulatory structure. On the operating side,
the plan is to activate all HF bands with an emphasis on 80
and 160 meters. QSL via OH0XX and we will have more DX news
for you later on in this weeks report. (CQ)
**
BREAK 1
Time for you to identify your station. We are the Amateur
Radio Newsline, heard on bulletin stations around the world
including the KF4ADM repeater serving Williamsburg Virginia.
(5 sec pause here)
**
RADIO POLITICS: SENATE CONFIRMS WHEELER TO FCC CHAIR
The Senate confirmed Thomas Wheeler as the next chairman of
the FCC and Michael P. O'Rielly to fill another vacancy at
the agency.
Wheeler's confirmation came after Senator Ted Cruz removed a
hold on his nomination after meeting with Wheeler on Tuesday
afternoon, October 29th and Wheeler was confirmed that
evening.
His nomination was partnered with that of O'Rielly, a
Republican, to draw bipartisan support. Their confirmations
came in a unanimous vote.
(published News Reports)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FCC ISSUES $15000 TO UNLICENSED BROADCASTER
The FCC has issued a Notice of Apparent Liability in the
amount of $15,000 to Florida resident Juan R. Nieves, Jr..
This for his alleged operation of an unlicensed radio
transmitter on the frequency 97.7 MHz in the city of
Summerfield. Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP,
has the details:
--
According to the FCC, agents from the Enforcement Bureau's
Tampa Office used direction-finding to locate the source of
the transmissions on several occasions last May and June to
an FM transmitting antenna located at a residence in
Summerfield, Florida. On each of those days, the agents
took field strength measurements of the station's signal and
determined that it exceeded the limits for license free
operation under Part 15 of the Commission's rules.
On June 25th the agents inspected the unlicensed radio
station and interviewed Juan R. Nieves, Jr.. He admitted
renting the residence housing the station, owning the
transmitter, and being the sole responsible party for the
unlicensed operation. In fact, he claimed to have operated
the station on 97.7 MHz for over a year. He also stated
that he had been in the broadcast industry for many years,
was a former officer of a low power station in Summerfield
and knew he needed a license to operate.
Now in proposing the $15,000 penalty the FCC says that it
finds that the violations in this case warrant a proposed
forfeiture above the base amount. The record evidence in
this case shows that Nieves was an officer of a low power FM
station, and was expected to be familiar with the
Commission's licensing requirements. Nevertheless, he
operated the unlicensed station for over a year, in
deliberate disregard for the Communications Act and the
Commission's rules. As such the FCC finds that an upward
adjustment of $5,000 in the forfeiture amount is warranted.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in
Scottsdale, Arizona.
--
Nieves was given the customary 30 days from the October 24th
issuance date to pay the proposed $15,000 fine or to file an
appeal. (FCC)
**
ENFORCEMENT: FORMER MISSOURI HAM FINED $500 FOR UNLICENSED
OPERATION
The FCC has fined Jared A. Bruegman, the former KC0IQN, of
Bolivar, Missouri, $500. This, for transmitting without a
license in the Amateur Service 20 meter band.
Last February, the FCC issued Bruegman a Notice of Apparent
Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $10,000 after its
agents observed an unlicensed radio transmitter operating on
14.312 MHz from a residence in Bolivar in December 2012.
Bruegman was the only person at home at the time and
admitted to owning the radio transmitting equipment.
In his response to the Notice of Apparent Liability Bruegman
claimed that the $10,000 would be a financial hardship and
requested that the FCC cancel the proposed fine. He also
submitted the required financial records to back up his
claim.
Now in a Forfeiture Order released October 23, the FCC has
reduced the fine to $500 stating that there is a sufficient
basis for such a reduction but not to outright cancel the
forfeiture. It gave him the customary 30 days from the date
of it issuing the Forfeiture Order to pay or make
arrangements to pay the fine. If he fails to do so the
matter can be turned over to the Department of Justice for
further enforcement action. (FCC)
**
PUBLIC SERVICE: OREGON HAMS TEAM WITH FRS IN EMCOMM
EXERCISE
The Emergency Volunteer Corps of Nehalem Bay, Oregon
recently held a training exercise where it activated its
local Map Your Neighborhood captains' emergency
communications operations. This, using the combined
resources of citizens with FRS radios and local ham radio
operators who were asked to set up a spontaneous net.
According to news reports, the Map Your Neighborhood
captains responded with professionalism and competency.
Moreover the operation by the hams taking part in the
exercise was described as simply being great.
The article in the North Coast Citizen Journal stated that
that everyone was proud of the community and its team of
volunteers. 13 hams out of the 28 living in the area took
part in the emergency preparedness exercise.
(CitizenJournal.com, eHam.net)
**
RADIO BUSINESS: ELK ANTENNAS AND DAYSAVER POWER SUSTEMS TO
MERGE
DaySaver Power Systems is merging with Elk Antennas.
DaySaver products will continue to be offered by Elk, which
says that that the transition from DaySaver Power Systems to
Elk Antennas should be seamless, with no interruption in
order fulfillment or warranties.
Currently, the DaySaver.com website will continue to
operate, but in the future the link will likely take you to
the Elk Antennas site at ElkAntennas.com for an expanded
array of products with the DaySaver name.
According to Elk Antenna's Jim Siemons, AF6PU, the merger
helps fulfill Elk's goal of expanding its product line for
portable, remote and emergency communications. Both
companies service the Amateur, Commercial, Military and
Public Safety Radio Services. (Press Release)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: FIRST AND ONLY 2 METER DXCC IN SOUTHERN
HEMISPHERE
Some names in the news. Back in 2011 to Bob McQuarrie,
ZL3TY was awarded the first 2 Meter DXCC ever issued in the
southern hemisphere. This after he contacted and confirmed
contacts with 102 countries. McQuarrie was also the first
New Zealand amateur to achieve DXCC in mixed VHF 6 meters
and 2 meters using digital technology combined with his CW
skills and moonbounce. Now comes word that his name and
call have been inducted in the New Zealand Hall of Fame. We
say congratulations. (SARL)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: VE3RHF NEW RAC DIRECTOR FOR ONTARIO SOUTH
Rod Hardman, VE3RHF has been recently elected as the Radio
Amateurs of Canada Director for Ontario South. His term as
Director will be for the two years starting January 1, 2014
and ending December 31, 2015.
(RAC)
**
NAMES IN THE NEWS: MIKE CALLAGHAN, WA6KPD RETIRES
And congratulations also to Mike Callaghan, WA6KPD, who
recently announced that he plans to retire on November 1st
after a long and distinguished career in broadcasting.
Callaghan was the chief engineer for station KIIS-FM in Los
Angeles. This is a position that he has held for only a few
months shy of 40 years. You can read the story of his
fascinating life in the broadcast engineering field at
tinyurl.com/Mike-Callaghan-retires (RW)
**
HAM HAPPENINGS: INSPIRING YOUTH AT THE ARRL MIDWEST
CONVENTION
Inspiring youth will be an important part of the upcoming
ARRL Midwest Convention slated for Joplin, Missouri on
November 8th and 9th. And to help meat this goal New York
City educator Carole Perry, WB2MGP will join forces with
former Astronaut, Colonel Steve Nagel, N5RAW, to bring the
magic of two way radio and spaceflight to youngsters in a
Joplin school:
--
WB2MGP: "He and I are going together to a high school where
we will be goin a presentation in front of an assembly of
gifted science students and ohers who will be able to ask
questions of astronaut Nagel."
--
Then on convention Saturday, WB2MGP will be hosting a Youth
Forum with Steve Nagel, N5RAW, taking part:
--
WB2MGP: "Astronaut Nagel is going to be coming to my Youth
Forum. I'm going to have a 9-year-old give a very exciting
presentation. One of the Youth Advisors for the ARRL will
be giving a small presentation and then we will be opening
up for questions for astronaut Nagel from the audience which
I hope as it is in Dayton contains a lot youngsters in it so
that they can be inspired by the sheer presence of this
incredible human being who has been in space."
--
In addition to Steve Nagel and Carole Perry there will also
be a Ham Radio in Space presentation featuring Eddy Paul,
KYOF; Jeremy Widner, ACODX and Randy Schulze, KDOHKD. They
will provide those attending their session with information
how to successfully get on the FM ham radio satellites, in
most cases with equipment they already own.
More on the convention and its special ham in space youth
events are on line at www.arrlmidwestconvention.com.
(ARNewslineT, AMSAT, WB2MGP)
**
BREAK 2
This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. We are
the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the world from our
only official website at www.arnewsline.org and being
relayed by the volunteer services of the following radio
amateur:
(5 sec pause here)
**
WORLDBEAT: INDIA'S FIRST MULTI-MODE RADIO SCOUTING REPEATER
OPENED
A new repeater dedicated for use by scouts has come to the
airwaves in India. Hosted by the Malabar Amateur Radio
Repeater Society the VU2MJJ system came to life on October
20th during the 2013 Scouting Jamboree on the air.
The VU2MJJ repeater is located at the Malabar club station
and reportedly has wide coverage in South India. It is also
the first D-STAR capable repeater in India that can also
relay other digital and analog modes including traditional
FM.
VU2MJJ operates on 145.450 Mhz with the standard minus
offset shift.
(Southgate)
**
WORLDBEAT: FRIEDRICHSHAFEN LECTURES AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD
Six of this years lectures presented at Germany's Ham Radio
gathering are now available as PowerPoint slides with
synchronized audio. Available programs include Tom Perera,
W1TP's talk on the Enigma and other historic cipher
machines; John Alexander, G7GCT's small cipher machines
presentation and Chris Duckling, G3SVL's, 100 Years of the
RSGB and its International Partners. If you are interested
in finding out more, go to www.dokufunk.org/talk on the
World-Wide-Web. (Southgate)
**
RADIO IN SPACE: ESA DRIVES FORWARD WITH ALL-ELECTRIC
TELECOM SATELLITES
The European Space Agency is set to begin development of a
new generation of satellites propelled by solar electric
thrusters as it signs a contract with SES of Luxembourg for
development of this project. This for the next phase of the
Electra project.
Electra is described as a partnership between European Space
Agency and satellite operator SES to define, develop and
validate in space an electric only propulsion platform for
geostationary telecommunication satellites of around 3
tones. The first launch is expected by the end of 2018.
(ESA)
**
EXTRATERRESTRIAL COMMUNICATIONS: LASER SPEED DEMO IN SPACE
NASA has used laser technology to transfer data over the
239,000 miles to and from the moon. This at a speed of 622
megabits per second.
Badri Younes is NASA's deputy associate administrator for
space communications and navigation. In a press release he
said that his agency is encouraged by the results of the
demonstration of the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration
to this point. As such NASA is confident that it is on the
right path to introduce this new capability into operational
service soon.
The space agency's Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration
is the first two-way space communication system to use a
laser instead of radio. Younes calls it the first step on
NASA's roadmap toward building the next generation of space
communication capability.
The Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration is hosted on
NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer or
LADEE satellite. (NASA)
**
WORLDBEAT: SOMALI BROADCAST STATION ATTACKED
The National Union of Somali Journalists says that it is
shocked by the latest violent attack on the media in
Puntland, which involved a double bomb strike on a private
radio station in Galkayo. According to the information
received from the site of the attack, gunmen hurled two hand
bombs at Radio Daljir, at around 10 p.m. local time on
Tuesday, October 15th. Eyewitness said that the attackers
were riding in sedan with no plate number. No one was
injured in the assault. More is on-line at
tinyurl.com/somali-broadcaster-bombed (Published news
reports)
**
ON THE AIR: OQ4CLM CELEBRATES LIBERATION OF KNOKKE, HOLLAND
On the air, special event station OQ4CLM is on the air
through November 15th to commemorate the liberation of the
town of Knokke, Holland by Canadian troops in 1944. This is
the 32nd time the station has taken to the airwaves. More
information is on the web at www.oq4clm.be (ON4RO)
**
ON THE AIR: CELEBRATING 200 YEARS OF THE NETHERLANDS
Fred Weidema, PA0FAW, of Arnhem Holland will be operating as
PG200NL, between November 2nd and the 29th. This in
celebration of 200 Years of The Netherlands.
As of now, he will mainly be active on CW, but he hopes to
also use SSB and some digital modes if locations become
available.
In his announcement, Fred notes that he is an International
Short Wave League member and can be worked or listened to by
I-S-W-L members for the organizations Monitor award. QSL go
to PA0FAW either direct, via the bureau or electronically
using eQSL. SWL reports are obviously also very welcome.
(PA0FAW)
**
DX
In DX, YL2GM is currently reported on the air from Sao
Vicente Island as D44TYL. Activity has been mainly 20 and
15 meters SSB. The length of his stay is unknown. QSL via
YL2GM.
HB9EYP will be on the air from Zanzibar between November 2nd
and the 9th possibly using the call 5H3JJ. Activity will be
QRP on 20 through 6 meters with 10 watts into a Windom
antenna from a beachfront location. QSL via his home
callsign either direct, via the bureau or electronically
using Logbook to the World.
Members of the DX Friends group will activate San Andres
Island as 5J0R from November 1st to the 10th. Operations
will be on 160 through 6 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY.
Visit their Web page at dxfriends.com/SanAndres2013 for more
information and QSL via EA5RM.
DL7VOA will be active as 6V7D from Senegal between November
29th and December 7th. His operation will be mainly on CW,
with some SSB, on 40 through 10 meters. QSL via DL7VOA.
A group of operators from India will be operating from the
Lakshadweep Islands from November 20th to the 10th of
December as VU7AG and VU7KA. They will be active on 160
through10 meters using CW , SSB and RTTY. QSL via W4VKU
Lastly, a team of 8 operators will be active from the rare
Banda Besar Island between November 10th to the 15th.
Callsigns have not been announced yet but operations will be
on 40 through 10 meters using CW and SSB. Look for more
details to be forthcoming at oc157.blogspot.co.uk.
(Above from various DX news sources)
**
THAT FINAL ITEM: POLICE SAY ALLEGEDLY INEBRIATED MAN
CONFUSED $20 BILL WITH CELL PHONE
And finally this week a story out of Minnesota that kind of
speaks for itself. Here's Don Wilbanks, AE5DW:
--
Call this one enforcement of a truly different kind as in
trying to make a phone call without a phone. This as a
Minnesota man is been charged with public intoxication after
he allegedly tried to make a phone call using a $20 bill.
Iowa City Police on foot patrol on the pedestrian mall
recently noticed the man passed out on a bench at 2:30 a.m.
on a Saturday morning. The officers said that the man
smelled strongly of alcohol, had watery, bloodshot eyes,
slurred speech and poor balance.
When officers requested identification, the man reportedly
grabbed money from his wallet and handed to the officers
instead. Police say officers then offered him the chance to
call his friends from his cell phone but instead he placed a
$20 bill to his ear and used it to try to make the call.
But $20 bills don't have built in receivers or transmitters
so for the police that was enough. They placed the
unidentified man under arrest for his own safety.
I'm Don Wilbanks, AE5DW.
--
And so ends another strange moment in communications
history. (Press-Citizen)
**
NEWSCAST CLOSE
With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC
Communicator, CQ Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX
Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain, the RSGB, the Southgate
News, TWiT-TV and Australia's WIA News, that's all from the
Amateur Radio NewslineT. Our e-mail address is newsline
(at) arnewsline (dot) org. More information is available at
Amateur Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at
www.arnewsline.org. You can also write to us or support us
at Amateur Radio NewslineT, 28197 Robin Avenue, Santa
Clarita California, 91350
Before we sign off, a reminder that the Dayton Amateur Radio
Association is soliciting nominations for next year's
Hamvention awards. This includes the Amateur of the Year,
Special Achievement, Technical Excellence and Club of the
Year. Nominations must be received by January 17, 2014. For
more information, visit tinyurl.com/hamvention-awards-2014.
For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors' desk,
I'm Skeeter Nash, N5ASH, near Houston, Texas, saying 73 and
we thank you for listening.
Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2013. All rights
reserved.